He retrieved the needle case from the canvas bag, selecting several needles. This box was new, purchased in Shanghai; he had been using needles with surprising frequency lately.
Zhang Yang immediately inserted needles into Long Feng’s pressure points—the philtrum, the tiger’s mouth, and several others—before placing a few more near his Dantian.
This technique would suppress his internal energy (Neijin), rendering him as ordinary as a common man. Zhang Yang was confident that as a mere mortal, Long Feng wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Besides, the watchful gaze of Lightning, the Huweidiao, was fixed nearby.
Zhang Yang gently flicked one of the needles placed at Long Feng’s philtrum. Long Feng’s brow immediately knitted together, and his eyelids fluttered several times.
Zhang Yang settled onto the nearby sofa, slowly sipping a bottle of mineral water, waiting for him to wake up.
After a few dozen seconds, Long Feng’s eyes slowly opened, his expression still slightly vacant.
Long Feng only remembered that his mission was to apprehend a young man even slighter than himself. He had anticipated an easy task, never dreaming his opponent would be so formidable.
Just as he began to consider retreat and formulating an alternative plan, he was suddenly attacked by a Huweidiao.
Huweidiao—the thought of the venomous beast made Long Feng sit bolt upright.
His Neijin instinctively surged upward within his Dantian, a primal reaction to danger.
Unfortunately, the internal energy only managed a brief ascent before collapsing, as if some unseen force had severed the conduit through which his power flowed outward, leaving him possessing strength he couldn't access.
This realization shocked him further, compelling him to examine himself.
He then noticed his outer garment was pulled open, and several conspicuous silver needles pierced his skin.
“Don’t move recklessly. I guarantee I can knock you out again before you even manage to pull a single needle. Don't believe me? Try it!”
Setting down the water bottle, Zhang Yang spoke calmly. Long Feng, who had been reaching for a needle, froze mid-motion, hand suspended, unsure whether to pull or desist.
He turned his head slowly, regarding Zhang Yang with a look of apprehension.
Only then did it fully dawn on him: he had been captured by his target. He had come to seize someone, only to end up imprisoned himself—a bitter irony.
However, hearing Zhang Yang’s threat, he dared not attempt any sudden movements.
He was acutely aware of Zhang Yang’s actual capabilities; anything the latter claimed, he would certainly execute, and would not hesitate to do so.
He was, at present, just an ordinary man. Zhang Yang’s speed far surpassed his own; in the time it took to remove a needle, Zhang Yang could easily render him unconscious several times over.
“Squeak squeak squeak!”
Lightning, perched on the nearby chair, suddenly chirped. Long Feng’s expression shifted again, and he turned toward the creature with undisguised terror.
His reaction mirrored Zhang Yang’s first encounter with Lightning.
“Huweidiao!” Long Feng whispered, his voice strained. As an inner disciple of the Long family, he knew the lethal potency of this creature.
“You tamed the Huweidiao?”
His face contorted once more, the words bursting out in increased dread.
He recalled being bitten by this little thing, and now this creature appeared to be the very one he had seen resting on Zhang Yang’s shoulder earlier.
At the time, keeping his distance during his surveillance, he had dismissed the small animal as a mere pet, perhaps a cat or a dog.
He never imagined it was a spirit beast (Lingshou), and one of the venomous kind at that: the Huweidiao.
Seeing it now in the room, having previously seen it on Zhang Yang’s shoulder, even a fool could infer the close relationship between the creature and Zhang Yang. That context provided the only logical explanation for its previous attack.
“Lightning is my friend!”
Zhang Yang smiled faintly. Lightning chirped louder, its grin seeming even brighter, evidently pleased by Zhang Yang’s statement.
Even Wuying poked its head out, letting out a few high-pitched calls.
Mid-smile, Zhang Yang’s expression abruptly changed, though tinged with genuine joy.
He had just received a system notification: Lightning’s loyalty had finally reached eighty, cementing their bond as true partners in life and death.
Even Wuying’s loyalty had ticked up by two points; though still short of seventy, it was getting closer.
He truly hadn't expected that a single declaration could so swiftly alter Lightning’s perception of him. It proved that the animal world was far purer than the human one: kindness shown was repaid manifold.
This was an unexpected gift and a surprise for Zhang Yang. He was now keenly feeling the benefits of a highly loyal pet, especially since his companion was a Lingshou.
“I never imagined you could befriend a Lingshou!”
Long Feng’s voice carried a note of bitterness mixed with profound disappointment.
His defeat, in hindsight, was justified. Their vast family possessed only a single spirit beast, yet he had encountered someone who commanded one, and whose Neijin far surpassed his own. A loss was almost inevitable.
Still, given his inherent arrogance, accepting this level of failure was difficult in an instant.
“You saved me?”
Long Feng looked down, noticing the faint tooth marks left by Lightning on his arm, and immediately pressed for confirmation.
Zhang Yang chuckled, “If I hadn't saved you, do you think you’d have the opportunity to say all this now?”
He felt exceptionally pleased at the moment, barely registering the nuisance of Long Feng having come to confront him. Without Long Feng, how could he have prompted Lightning to achieve the new peak of eighty loyalty?
“I understand. Only the saliva of the Huweidiao can neutralize its venom. In other words, only you can save me!”
Long Feng’s expression was complex. Since the Huweidiao had bitten him, it wouldn't willingly save him; only Zhang Yang, as its master, held the antidote.
There was another outer disciple from the Long family present, but Long Feng completely overlooked him; Long Cheng’s strength was beneath his notice.
Zhang Yang nodded. “It’s good that you know I saved you. But just as I can save you, I can kill you. Tell me who sent you to capture me, and I might consider letting you go.”
“It was a family elder who ordered me to execute this command!”
Long Feng was surprisingly cooperative, knowing he was completely at Zhang Yang’s mercy. He stated the source of the order plainly.
He harbored no deep enmity toward Zhang Yang; this was purely a mission dictated by his clan.
“Family Elder?”
Zhang Yang’s brow twitched again. He hadn't expected a Long family Elder to target him. In his memory, he had no dealings with the Long family, his only acquaintance being Long Cheng, who lacked the influence to mobilize a clan Elder against him.
“Why?”
Zhang Yang asked softly. He treated this particular Elder with caution. This was not a minor outer sect Elder, but a significant figure within the Xuan Yuan lineage, one of the true hidden great families—importance demanded respect.
“When the Elder was young, an accident occurred, and he received aid from someone in that family. He owed them a favor. Recently, the Zhang family contacted the Elder, requesting he capture you. Naturally, the Elder wouldn't act personally, so he dispatched me!”
Long Feng shook his head, revealing everything he knew.
These were not Long family secrets, and revealing them was meaningless now. Furthermore, he felt a growing resentment toward that petty Zhang family.
He had only been told the target was a young man with Neijin, not that he was this terrifyingly powerful and accompanied by a spirit beast. Had he known, he could have warned his clan or insisted on a stronger contingent. Now, he was a captive, the ultimate disgrace for a Long family disciple.
“The Zhang family—is it the Zhang family from the Hua Tuo Ju in Shanghai?”
A cold glint flashed in Zhang Yang’s eyes. Long Feng’s description confirmed his suspicions.
The only family with the motive to target him was the Hua Tuo Ju. They desperately coveted certain items in his possession, justifying such extreme measures. He hadn't anticipated they would resort to this method, nor that they possessed connections strong enough to involve an expert from the Xuan Yuan lineage.
“That place, I think it’s called Hua Tuo Ju. I visited once and told them to wait; I’d deliver you within a day.” Long Feng’s face darkened again. He had boasted of capturing Zhang Yang within a day, only to be captured himself before the deadline. His own fate remained uncertain.
Zhang Yang pressed further, “What is the relationship between your Elder and the Zhang family?”
“I’m not entirely clear on the specifics. It seems when the Elder was severely injured in his youth, he sought medicine at their pharmacy. Those people somehow recognized his identity, provided him with the finest recovery draughts, allowing his wounds to heal rapidly. Because he owed them this debt, the Elder promised to assist them with one request in the future!”
Long Feng spoke slowly, relaying what the Elder had told him before dispatching him. The Long family was considered righteous; while not rigidly dogmatic, they honored their commitments. When the Zhang family approached the Elder, he upheld his promise immediately.
“I see. What is the Elder’s level of strength?” Zhang Yang inquired.
“He is our Second Elder. Six years ago, he could project his Neijin externally!”
Long Feng looked up and stated this quietly. Zhang Yang’s brow involuntarily twitched.
External projection of Neijin—the ability to kill from a distance, marking one as a supreme expert, on par with Zhang Yang’s grandfather in his previous life. Even at his peak in that life, Zhang Yang himself had not reached that level.
“I understand. Rest for now. I will consider how to deal with you later.”
Zhang Yang stood up abruptly, giving Long Feng no chance to react, and knocked him unconscious once more.
Handling Long Feng was troublesome, but the Zhang family presented the greater difficulty. Knowing they were the masterminds, Zhang Yang had no intention of sparing them. They understood his situation best and desired his possessions most. A failed attempt would surely lead to another, more dangerous scheme. Zhang Yang could not tolerate such a threat lingering near him.
Dealing with the Zhang family directly wouldn't be hard; they possessed no Neijin, and Zhang Yang could eliminate them all alone.
The true concern was the reaction of the Long family’s Second Elder, who owed the Zhang family a favor. Would he step forward to defend them if Zhang Yang struck? That was Zhang Yang’s primary reservation.